The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus for projecting a mask pattern onto a photosensitive substrate via a projection optical system, a maintenance method for the apparatus, a semiconductor device manufacturing method using the apparatus, and a semiconductor manufacturing factory.
A conventional manufacturing process for manufacturing a semiconductor element such as an LSI or VLSI formed from a micropattern uses a reduction type projection exposure apparatus for transferring by reduction projection a circuit pattern drawn on a mask such as a reticle onto a substrate coated with a photosensitive agent. With an increase in the packaging density of semiconductor elements, demands have arisen for further micropatterning. Exposure apparatuses are coping with micropatterning along with the development of a resist process.
Methods of increasing the resolving power of the exposure apparatus include a method of changing the exposure wavelength to a shorter one, and a method of increasing the numerical aperture (NA) of the projection optical system.
As for the exposure wavelength, a KrF excimer laser with an oscillation wavelength of 365-nm i-line to recently 248 nm, and an ArF excimer laser with an oscillation wavelength around 193 nm have been developed. A fluorine (F2) excimer laser with an oscillation wavelength around 157 nm is also under development.
An ArF excimer laser with a wavelength around ultraviolet rays, particularly, 193 nm, and a fluorine (F2) excimer laser with an oscillation wavelength around 157 nm are known to have an oxygen (O2) absorption band around their wavelength band.
For example, a fluorine excimer laser has been applied to an exposure apparatus because of a short wavelength of 157 nm. The 157-nm wavelength falls within a wavelength region called a vacuum ultraviolet region. Light in this wavelength region is greatly absorbed by oxygen molecules. In other words, light hardly passes through the air. Thus, the fluorine excimer laser can only be applied in a low-oxygen-concentration environment. According to the reference xe2x80x9cPhotochemistry of Small Moleculesxe2x80x9d (Hideo Okabe, A Wiley-Interscience Publication, 1978, p. 178), the absorption coefficient of oxygen to 157-nm light is about 190 atmxe2x88x921 cmxe2x88x921. This means when 157-nm light passes through a gas at an oxygen concentration of 1% at one atmospheric pressure, the transmittance per cm is only
T=exp(xe2x88x92190xc3x971 cmxc3x970.01 atm)=0.150.
In such an exposure apparatus using an ArF excimer laser with a wavelength around ultraviolet rays, particularly, 193 nm, or a fluorine (F2) excimer laser with a wavelength around 157 nm, an ArF excimer laser beam or fluorine (F2) excimer laser beam is readily absorbed by a substance. A light absorption substance in the optical path must be purged to several ppm order or less. This also applied to moisture, which must be removed to the ppm order or less.
To ensure the transmittance and stability of ultraviolet rays, the ultraviolet path of a reticle stage or the like in the exposure apparatus is purged with inert gas. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-260385 discloses a method of spraying inert gas to a photosensitive substrate, which is not enough to purge oxygen or moisture. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-279458 discloses a method of covering the whole space from the lower end of a projection optical system to the vicinity of a photosensitive substrate with a sealing member. However, the stage is difficult to move, and this method is not practical. Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-179590 discloses a method of disposing a cover for covering the ultraviolet path from the reticle-side lower end of an illumination optical system to the vicinity of a reticle stage, and spraying inert gas into the cover. However, oxygen or moisture cannot be sufficiently purged because the space from a reticle holder for holding a reticle to a reticle surface plate for supporting a reticle stage is not surrounded. In addition, a sheet glass is set on the reticle stage side serving as a movable portion, which increases the weight of the reticle stage. Since the scan stroke range of the reticle stage must be covered with the sheet glass, a large sheet glass is required to further increase the weight. The sheet glass deforms by driving of the reticle stage, changing the optical characteristics. Particularly when the sheet glass functions as an optical element, changes in optical characteristics typically appear. In this case, the optical characteristics must be uniform within the scan stroke range, resulting in a very complicated process. Connection of an inert gas supply tube to the reticle stage side serving as a movable portion transmits vibrations from the tube. Scan operation while the tube is connected degrades the control characteristics of the reticle stage.
As described above, an exposure apparatus using an ultraviolet ray, particularly, an ArF excimer laser beam or fluorine (F2) excimer laser beam suffers from large absorption of light of this wavelength by oxygen and moisture. To obtain a sufficient transmittance and stability of an ultraviolet ray, the oxygen and moisture concentrations in the optical path must be reduced.
From this, demands have arisen for the development of an effective purge system for the ultraviolet light path in the exposure apparatus, particularly for the vicinity of a wafer and reticle which are often loaded/unloaded into/from the exposure apparatus.
The present invention has been made to overcome the conventional drawbacks, and has as its object to provide a device for effectively purging, e.g., part of the optical path with inert gas in an exposure apparatus for projecting a reticle pattern onto a photosensitive substrate via a projection optical system, a semiconductor device manufacturing method using the apparatus, a manufacturing factory, and a maintenance method therefor.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing an exposure apparatus comprising a reticle stage which holds a reticle, a reticle surface plate which supports the reticle stage, a projection optical system which projects a pattern of the reticle onto a substrate, a shield which surrounds a space between the reticle stage and the reticle surface plate through which exposure light passes and shields the space from outside, and a gas supply which supplies inert gas into the space shielded by the shield.
In the preferred embodiment, the shield is supported by the reticle stage. The shield is preferably arranged to allow movement of the reticle stage on the reticle surface plate. The shield can be formed from a plate member. The shield can include an air curtain or a hydrostatic bearing disposed between the reticle stage and the reticle surface plate.
In the preferred embodiment, the inert gas supplied to the hydrostatic bearing is also supplied to the space shielded by the shield to purge the space.
It is preferable that the apparatus mentioned above further comprises a sheet glass set on the reticle surface plate so as to separate, from the space shielded by the shield, a space inside an opening which is formed in the reticle surface plate to transmit exposure light.
It is preferable that the apparatus mentioned above further comprises a second gas supply which supplies inert gas to the space separated by the sheet glass.
It is preferable that the apparatus mentioned above further comprises a gas recovery which recovers gas from the space shielded by the shield.
It is preferable that the apparatus mentioned above further comprises a sensor arranged to measure a pressure in the space shielded by the shield and a controller arranged to control the gas supply on the basis of the pressure measured by the sensor.
It is preferable that the apparatus mentioned above further comprises a cleaning gas supply which supplies cleaning gas into the space shielded by the shield. The cleaning gas can include at least one of oxygen and ozone.
The apparatus can further comprise an illumination optical system and an enclosure which surrounds a space between the illumination optical system and the reticle stage through which exposure light passes. It is preferable that the enclosure is arranged such that a gap is provided between a lower end thereof and the reticle stage, and the reticle stage has, around the reticle, a top plate with a surface flush with an upper surface of the reticle.
The apparatus can further comprise a substrate stage which holds the substrate and an enclosure which surrounds a space between the projection optical system and the substrate stage through which exposure light passes. It is preferable that the enclosure is arranged such that a gap is provided between a lower end thereof and the substrate stage, and the substrate stage has, around the substrate, a top plate with a surface flush with an upper surface of the substrate.
In the preferred embodiment, the shield is so arranged as to prevent an opening of the reticle surface plate from deviating from a region defined by the shield.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing an exposure apparatus comprising a reticle stage which holds a reticle, a reticle surface plate which supports the reticle stage, the reticle surface plate having an opening for transmitting exposure light, a projection optical system which projects a pattern of the reticle onto a substrate, and a sheet glass set on the reticle surface plate so as to separate a space inside the opening of the reticle surface plate from a space above the reticle surface plate.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing an exposure apparatus comprising an optical system, a stage which moves with a flat object during exposure, and an enclosure which surrounds a space between the optical system and the stage through which exposure light passes. The enclosure is arranged such that a gap is provided between a lower end thereof and the stage, and the stage has, around the flat object, a top plate with a surface flush with an upper surface of the flat object.
The optical system may be an illumination optical system, and the stage may be a reticle stage. Alternatively, the optical system may be a projection optical system, and the stage may be a substrate stage.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing a device manufacturing method comprising the steps of installing, in a semiconductor manufacturing factory, manufacturing apparatuses, for performing various processes, including the above exposure apparatus, and manufacturing a semiconductor device by performing a plurality of processes using the manufacturing apparatuses.
It is preferable that the method mentioned above further comprises the steps of connecting the manufacturing apparatuses via a local area network and communicating information about at least one of the manufacturing apparatuses between the local area network and an external network outside the semiconductor manufacturing factory.
It is preferable that the method mentioned above further comprises the step of accessing a database provided by a vendor or user of the exposure apparatus via the external network, thereby obtaining maintenance information of the exposure apparatus by data communication.
It is preferable that the method mentioned above further comprises the step of performing data communication between the semiconductor manufacturing factory and another semiconductor manufacturing factory via the external network, thereby performing production management.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing a semiconductor manufacturing factory comprising: manufacturing apparatuses, for performing various processes, including the above exposure apparatus; a local area network for connecting the manufacturing apparatuses; and a gateway for allowing access to an external network outside the factory from the local area network, wherein information about at least one of the manufacturing apparatuses is communicated.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing a maintenance method for the above exposure apparatus that is installed in a semiconductor manufacturing factory, comprising the steps of: making a vendor or user of the exposure apparatus provide a maintenance database connected to an external network outside the semiconductor manufacturing factory; allowing access to the maintenance database from the semiconductor manufacturing factory via the external network; and transmitting maintenance information accumulated in the maintenance database to the semiconductor manufacturing factory via the external network.
It is preferable that the apparatus further comprises a display, a network interface and a computer for executing network software, and the display, the network interface, and the computer enable communicating maintenance information of the exposure apparatus via a computer network.
In the preferred embodiment, the network software provides on the display the user interface for accessing a maintenance database provided by a vendor or user of the exposure apparatus and connected to the external network outside a factory in which the exposure apparatus is installed, and information is obtained from the database via the external network.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.